Common Performs Poetry At The White House, Should He Have Been Invited? (VIDEO)

Video: Common Performs Poetry At The White House

Should the Chicago emcee have been invited?

Common performed at The White House this evening, but should he have been invited? The ‘conscious’, Chicago emcee performed a deep poem in D.C. tonight, but because of his presence, he and The Obamas have come under fire. While rhyming at Def Poetry Jam in 2007, he said, “Burn a Bush cos for peace he no push no button,” referring to the current president, George W. Bush. Many have claimed that the someone who has made such a controversial statement should never have been asked to be grace the stage at the White House. Watch video of both Common’s performance tonight as well as his Def Poetry Jam appearance below:

Common White House Performance (Video)

Common “Letter To The Law” Def Poetry Jam Performance (2007)

To say the least, I think Common’s lyrical skill is apparent in both videos. But, I can definitely see why many people would be upset that he performed tonight.

What do you think of the performances? Do you think Common should have been invited to perform? Can you imagine if someone said “Burn (an) Obama” in a lyric in the past and then was invited to the White House? Did Common mean to burn a metaphorical bush, perhaps alluding to the Book of Exodus in The Bible? In any case, is this a good look for the Obamas? Follow us on Twitter and let us know what you think on Facebook.